Paint brush maintenance can often be a time consuming and difficult process. If a brush is left uncleaned after use, the paint thereon often hardens, thereby rendering the brush useless. Typically a brush is cleaned using a solvent or the like. However, solvents can be expensive and noxious to the person using the solvent. Solvents can also be harmful to the environment as a result of evaporation of the solvent and disposal of the solvent in sinks, storm drains and the like and is illegal in many jurisdictions.
When cleaning a brush by hand the bristles of the brush are often bent and/or pulled out of the brush altogether. Repeated cleanings of the same brush can be very harmful to the bristles, as solvents can cause the bristles to deteriorate.
Apparatus for retaining a painting implement, such as a paint brush, in various types of cans and containers are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,044 discloses a storage container for paint applicators which uses a lid having openings, and which the lid also includes additional protruding seals and requires use of clasps affixed to the paint applicator handles to prevent slippage into the separate storage container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,670 discloses a paint brush holder which includes a lid having a spring clip for holding a paint brush in a can. U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,295 discloses a paint container and brush holder which uses a two-piece hinged mechanism to retain a paint brush handle so that a paint brush can be stored in a paint container. However, these types of brush holders have not proved effective in minimizing the need for brush maintenance and cleaning.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a lid which would fit containers that a consumer already has (i.e., the container does not have to be provided with the lid), particularly paint cans in which paint is commonly sold, and which lid could be easily and cheaply manufactured, having simple, easily used means of retaining an implement when the lid is affixed to the paint can, while insuring that the contents of the container remain useable, for example, that paint in the paint can does not dry out before the paint would be typically used. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a lid such as that described above that minimizes or even eliminates the need for cleaning solvents.